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Ariane 5 Cleared For Intelsat 11 And Optus D2 Mission
Kourou, French Guiana (SPX) Oct 04, 2007 Ariane 5 mission is cleared for an October 5 liftoff with Intelsat 11 and Optus D2 Arianespace's fourth mission of 2007 is set for Friday, October 5, with the green light given today (October 3) after the launch readiness review at Europe's Spaceport. This review, which is held before every Ariane flight, verifies the readiness of the Ariane 5 vehicle, its two payloads, the launch infrastructure at the Spaceport in French Guiana, and the downrange network of tracking stations. The upcoming mission will orbit two satellites built by the same U.S. manufacturer, Virginia-based Orbital Sciences Corporation, for Intelsat and Optus. The Intelsat 11 spacecraft is riding in Ariane 5's upper payload position, and is to be released first during the mission sequence. To be operated by Washington, D.C.-headquartered Intelsat, the satellite will host Latin America's premiere video programmers and the region's largest DTH (direct-to-home) platform. Intelsat 11 is based on the Orbital Sciences STAR 2 spacecraft bus, and carries a hybrid payload composed of 16 C-band and 18 Ku-band transponders. The satellite weighs approximately 2,500 kg. at launch. Optus D2 also uses a STAR 2 bus, and is to be operated by Australian-based Optus to enable the development of new business opportunities for the direct-to-home market, new data services and services bundling. To be positioned at an orbital slot of 152 deg. East, the 2,350-kg. Optus D2 will have an operational life of 15-plus years. The October 5 launch window for Ariane 5 opens at 6:28 p.m. local time at the Spaceport, and continues to 7:13 p.m. (21h28-22h13 GMT). Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Ariane 5 flight Mission Updates Launch Pad at Space-Travel.com
Pratt And Whitney Rocketdyne's RS-27A Powers New-Gen Imaging Satellite To Orbit
Canoga Park CA (SPX) Sep 20, 2007A Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne RS-27A boosted a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket into space today from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The rocket carried WorldView-1, the first of two next-generation satellites that are part of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's NextView program. Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne is a United Technologies Corp. company. |
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